BETSY LAMOND – BoomerFit Owner

When people ask me why I chose to focus on boomers and seniors when I started a new career as certified exercise professional, I tell them it was self-serving. When I left my 23 year corporate career I was almost 50. According to the latest studies on the ‘longevity bonus’, the extra 30+ years added to our lifespan, I could work for many more years, making a positive impact on other people’s lives while having fulfillment in my own. To do that, I needed to keep myself healthy and energetic. As a baby boomer, I needed to research how the body ages and what exercise strategies would slow and even reverse the effects of aging.

I feel fortunate to have entered the exercise science field at a time of revelatory studies on the amazing benefits of exercise to reverse the effects of aging. Gone is the thinking that we inevitably grow frail as we age. Although we begin to lose muscle mass starting in our 30’s and it accelerates as we age, not only can regain it but we can build muscle and bone into our 90’s and beyond with consistent, focused exercise. The studies show just 30 minutes of full body strength training at least twice a week is enough to keep us active and avoid muscle loss.

Younger Trees Replacing Old Growth

Change Your HABIT for Vitality – Get Aligned in Time

HABIT stands for Healing Alignment and Balance In Time. Do any of these habits look like someone you know?

Toe walking – are your heels are strangers to the ground?

Jutting your hips out – do they come into the room before the rest of you?

Tucking your pelvis toward your rear – new studies show how detrimental it is for your back

Sucking your stomach in – it doesn’t make you look thinner and does a number on your internal organs

Boomers have had these habits for so long, the body adapted to them. The problem is; tissues – joints, ligaments, organs – mold in a way that hurts mobility and overall health. Even worse, the pain caused by poor alignment makes you move less which is literally deadly.

Anyone can change these habits and regain balance and confidence. It takes time – the second part of the acronym – why not start now?

BoomerFit HABIT Classes

HABIT classes are 45 minutes. Here’s how they work:

We begin by getting into alignment. We use deep breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system

We use a barre for deep stretching of the leg muscles with mindful movement exercises

We use resistance bands for upper and lower body strength exercises followed by standing upper body stretching

We get onto a mat for back extension exercises and seated stretching

Meditation to relax the body and create new brain connections

STRONG HABIT Personal Training

If you need a baseline of strength to activate your muscles, joints and connective tissues, STRONG HABIT personal training is a great way to start. Here’s what it’s about:

Personalized program designed for where you are now. Have you been away from exercise for a while? Recovering from injury or illness? No judgement just results.

Strength training on machines for the fastest results safely (Body by Science, McGuff and Little, 2009 among many studies). Safe and effective for those with osteopenia/osteoporosis.

Mindful movement exercises so you can understand how your body moves to avoid falls and move freely.

Deep stretching to revitalize fascia (the “plastic wrap” around your muscle and other tissue) ligaments, and other tissue.

Why not start living your life with vibrancy now? Move better, look better, and feel better. Keep doing the things you love to do as long as you want to do them.